Known oil sands operations have remote mining and extraction complexes which pipeline bitumen froth to a naphthenic froth treatment plant associated with an upgrading complex. The naphtha diluted bitumen produced by naphthenic froth treatment is processed by dedicated upgraders. Such dedicated upgraders have been located in relative proximity to naphthenic froth treatment plants and have been designed and operated for specific input bitumen from froth treatment plant, for instance having specific naphtha/bitumen ratio, water and solids content.
Paraffinic froth treatment plants that have been associated with mining and extraction complexes produce diluted bitumen product which is pipelined to a dedicated upgrader. The recovery and recycling of paraffinic solvent is via interconnecting pipelines which have centered the froth treatment process facility with mining and extraction operations.
The focus of the oil sands industry has been to add to additional plant infrastructure on a per project basis based on existing concepts. Known practices locate froth treatment process facilities adjacent to the mine/extraction facilities and has each facility developed on a stand-alone basis for the specific project which increases costs and environmental impacts on the region, for instance as each project has stand-alone tailings water management.
In addition, paraffinic froth treatment produces a dry bitumen product that has the potential to be marketed by pipeline to remote upgraders.
Furthermore, dedicated froth treatment operations can be hindered or altogether halted when either upstream or downstream process operations stall or are not available.
Safety and worker training is also a challenge in oil sands operations. Different types of operations require different types and levels of safety and training. Man-power has become a significant issue, particularly in the oil sands of northern Alberta. It is difficult to find the workforce with the proper expertise and training for the diverse assortment of operations an integrated oil sands company may require.
The known technologies for mining, extracting, froth treatment and upgrading have several drawbacks, as relates to inflexibility, unreliability and overdependence on upstream and downstream operations.